Boxlike bag



19, 1943- L. EISGRAU 2,331,966

BOX-LIKE BAG Filed Dec. 5, 1941 LEON f/S GRAU, INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 19, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOXLIKE BAG Leon Eisgrau, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application December 5, 1941, Serial No. 421,723

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to reinforced, folded. bags and more particularly to that type of folded paper bag which is reinforced so that it acts like a box when opened up.

The wrapping for delivery, of commodities pur chased at retail in single units, is an important item in the expense of doing business. Many commodities, such as hats, flowers, pastries, lamp shades, and the like, because of their crushability should be wrapped in boxes. Many other articles, although they could be wrapped in paper or put into paper bags, are placed in paper boxes because such a package makes a neater, more pleasing appearance. Paper boxes, however, are from ten to fifty times more expensive than paper bags. In the selling of ladies hats, for instance, the cheaper hats are wrapped in bags; a lady's hat, to warrant delivery in a hat box, must be fairly expensive; however, there are intermediate grades of ladies hats which, although their purchase price does not permit wrapping in boxes, nevertheless deserve something better than a simple paper bag.

It is the object of this invention to provide a reinforced paper bag, which when opened up, will act similar to a box to protect its contents.

It is another object of this invention to provide reinforced paper bags which when opened up may be stacked one above the other without crushing.

One of the features of this invention resides in the economy of material employed to achieve the results obtained.

Another feature resides in the relatively slight increase in bulk of the reinforced bag over the original bag when folded.

Other and further objects and features will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the improved bag in the folded condition;

Fig. 2 shows the bag opened up;

Fig. 3 shows a modification of the cardboard reinforcement without the bag; and,

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the bag opened up, filled, sealed, and ready to be taken away.

In the drawing, I is the usual bellows type of bag available in the market today. The two halves of the bellows, designated by the numerals 2 and 3, are turned inwardly when the bag is folded. Two cardboard inserts 4 are inserted into the bag on either side between bellows fold 2 and body partion ll of the bag. The inserts 4 are as wide'as bellows portions 2 and 3 together. The ends 6 of inserts 4 terminate a distance A from the bottom 5 of the folded bag I equal to the width of bellows portion 2 or 3. Inserts 4 are glued to bellows portion for'a distance B equal to the depth of the box-like bag when fully opened up. At 1, where the glued portions of the inserts 4 end they are transversely scored, and the remaining portion 8 of one of the inserts is made equal in length to C, the width of the bag when opened. The remaining portion 9 of the other insert need not be as long as C.

The bag I is opened the usual way, and when this is done inserts 4 become adjacent to bellows portions 2 and 3 to form the stiii sides of the boxlike bag. Bottom 5 now becomes the center of the bottom of the box, and because of the con-' centration of excess paper and glue along this lines, there is considerable stiffness given the container at this face. After the contents are placed in the bag, portions 8 and 9, first 9 then 8, are folded into the bag from scor 1. There is considerable elasticity in the cardboard and when portions 8 and 9 are bent inwardly the remaining portions of inserts 4 tend to bend outwardly; this tends to stretch the upper and lower sides of. the box thus formed into drumlike tautness. Folds 8 and 9 are kept in place when the mouth of the bag is closed by folding up the mouth of the lines, the cardboard reinforcing, opening up and in the reinforcing position are shown by the heavy dashed lines.

A reinforced bag made as described will give substantial protection to crushable objects placed within it. Several such box-like bags may be stacked one over the other without crushing the lowest bag, and if the contents are hats, without injury to the lowest hat. This feature is of considerable importance because it means that the bag need not be discarded, but can be used to store its contents on a shelf, after the article purchased reaches its destination. When a bag of this sort is used for storing any advertising matter placed thereon takes on added value. Repeated use of the bag, even if it destroys the inherent elasticity of the cardboard inserts at score 1 does beyond folds 8 and 9 is creased inwardly, the box-like structure will become effective.

In bags of the smaller sizes there is enough material and glue at seam to provide all the necessary stiffness to the side of the box of which seam 5 becomes a part when the bag is formed. As a matter of fact in many cases if a small bag is closed by rolling up its mouth, there is sufficient stiffness given to the bag at this end to make portions 8 and 9 of the inserts unnecessary. In the larger bags this stiffness is not enough, and so in Fig. 3 is shown a modification of the invention, a illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, to provide for this deficiency. One of the inserts 4 does not terminate at 6 but is extended into an additional section H) of a length equal to C the width of the opened box. When the stiifeners 4 are first inserted into bag I, portion I0 is folded up between its portion 4 and portion l I of the bag. When the bag is opened, portion I0- is pushed toward the bottom of the box thus formed until it has passed edge 6 of the other insert 4. This stiiiens the bottom of the box and the said edge 6 prevent portion ID from being displaced to accidentally collapse the bag.

In Fig. 3 is also shown a modification of portions 8 and 9 of the inserts. Where in Figs. 1 and 2 at least portion 8 has to be long as 0, here the substitute portions 88 and 99 are each only slightly longer than one-half C and in closing the box, portions 88 and 99 are interlocked by any one of the well known tongue and slot means as illustrated at I011. The shaded area I! indicates the portion of the insert 4 that is glued to bellows portion 2. It should be evident in this connection that inserts 4 need not be attached to bellows 2; once the bag is opened and the inserts are in place in extended position their function is performed independent of the bellows. The gluing is required for the mass production of the article as a commercial product and so that the ultimate user can use the combination of bag and stiiiener with as little efiort and attention to details as possible.

In the drawing the dimensions A, B and C indicate the relative dimensions of the reinforcing strips and the paper bag. These relationships are given for the preferred embodiment of the invention and serve only as a guide, they can be varied somewhat, even for the bag illustrated, without harmful eflects because considerable tolerances are permissible in the construction of the combination.

Although I have described the invention as applied to a paper bag, it is also applicable to bags of any other material such as Cellophane, starched fabrics and even pliable untreated fabrics. The original bag to which the inserts are applied need not even be supplied with bellows so long as the relations of dimensions A, B and 0 between the bag and the component parts of thee inserts are maintained substantially as indica d.

The construction and operation of my boxlike bag should be readily understood from the foregoing description, and it should be seen that I have provided simple inexperienced, and cilicient means for carrying out the objects 01' the invention. Furthermore, while I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

What I claim is:

A bellows type of bag and two stifiening inserts within the bag attached to portions of the bellows one on each side of the bag, each insert being substantially as wide as the bellows when extended, each insert ends ubstantially one-half said width from the bottom edge of the bag when said bag is collapsed, the portions of the inserts at the other ends being bendable inwardly equal distances from the bottom of the bag, one of said last mentioned portions being substantially as long as the bag is wide when opened.

LEON EISGRAU. 

